Hi Splandy, The sun literally goes from the back of my house to the front (when it is out). So I put my seed trays on any available windowsill, so that they get as much light as possible. They are not sitting on any heatpads, that is actually tiling on the windowsill. I have never really gone by what temperature it should be. They have just really worked out for me by being on the window sill with a little heat from the radiator, and when they have grown more, but still not safe to put out in the garden. I open the window slightly so that they get some air to them. As I say it works for me, and I am only an amateur gardener. You learn by your mistakes, it is what you feel works for you.
You've been given plenty of info on seed sowing and also links to info from the RHS. Asking again isn't going to change the answers. If it says it needs 60F or whatever, then sowing them in any other temps is a waste of time and money.
Wait till March when light levels are better - except toms and chilies which can be started early to get extra growing season if you can provide light and warmth. Wait till April/May if you can't provide heat control via propagators. Sweet peas can also be started early and moved outside into cold frames to keep growing and maximise light.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
It’s a reasonable thing to ask when you consider that 15 degrees is apparently within the acceptable range at both stages of sowing the particular seeds I mentioned. That might mean that a non-variable propogator could work. I mostly wanted to know whether other people tend to follow instructions to the letter (which is my usual way of doing things) or if it is seen as unnecessary and people have success with less precise methods.
Hi @Splandy. I sow seeds in my east facing conservatory, it's a useful space to have in the absence of a proper greenhouse 😊.
I got a heated prop a couple of years ago, not temp controlled but it works for me. I mostly use it for half-hardy seeds that need a bit of bit of warmth to kick start germination. I'm not a very 'precise' type of gardener, I tend to just give it a go and cross my fingers things work. I've no idea of the temps inside the prop, have never bothered trying to measure it 😳. Sorry... I'm not being very helpful am I?
Things I do to help my seedlings along... Ventilation: wipe out condensation from the plastic lids, and leave the lids off unheated trays on warm days. Protection from strong sunlight or chilly nights: I have curtains at the windows which can be drawn to shade the trays and shield from cold. Turn the trays: stops the plants growing lopsided.
What I would advise is not to start too soon, I start in March, and not to sow all the seeds in the packet at once. A few thinly sown seeds stand a better chance than bunging the whole lot in one pot or tray (less competition/overcrowding), and then you still have some left for a second sowing if needed.
Finally, don't stress too much about "getting it wrong". We've all been there as novice seed sowers. I wasn't on the forum when I started so bumbled along blindly 😆. Still love the excitement of seeing those first green shoots though 🌱🌱🌱.
I am very excited! How would you go about sowing the foxgloves? The packet says it contains approx 1000 seeds so I assume they are tiny. Is there an easier way to handle them without wasting them? Thanks for the tips, they’re really useful and I wouldn’t have known to turn the trays otherwise... when you mention a second sowing, do you mean in case the first lot fail or for more flowering time? What time period would you leave before sowing the next lot?
I've never grown foxgloves Splandy, so can't give plant specific advice for them unfortunately.
My method for tiny little seeds with thousands in the packet is to tip some out into the palm of my hand, then take a pinch (between finger and thumb) and finely sprinkle them on top of damp compost.
I googled foxgloves, and like a lot of the tiny seeds they need light to germinate. For these types I don't cover with any extra compost but simply leave them be, or alternatively you can give them a light covering of vermiculite, which doesn't block the light like compost does.
I'd never bothered with vermiculite before but a forum friend tipped me off that poundland had it in last year. Cheap, cheap, cheap... so I gave it a go. I can't say I noticed a significant difference with the pots that had it vs those without 😕.
Second sowing: Didn't want to jinx you, but yes, keep some back in case you need to try again. The length of time to wait would depend on how fast the seed usually takes to germinate. Some types will take approx 7-10 days, some 14-28 days. A lot depends on the growing conditions heat/light etc.
If I have a pot that's failed to sprout I usually leave it to one side and start again in another pot with fresh compost. Sometimes they pop up eventually, sometimes not.
Another tip for seed sowing is not to use big pots, it's not necessary and a bit of a waste of compost. The aim is to get the seeds sprouting and then pot them on once the 'true leaves' appear. You see the cell trays Jaqueline is using? That's what I use. A 24 cell tray has (for me) 6 rows of 4 cells which can potentially hold six different types of seed in the one tray.
People use allsorts of stuff as plant pots for seed sowing... yoghurt pots, plastic cups, meat/veg trays from the supermarket. All washed out of course 😉. My personal favourite is the cardboard tubes from loo rolls for sowing peas in 😁.
There was a great forum thread on seedlings, started by gardengirl with lots of photos and chat. I will try and find it and put a link in here for you. I found it very helpful to see how others were growing their stuff.
Foxgloves ideal are sown in May / June or July like they would do in the wild, I prefer May because it gives that extra 3-4 weeks to get good sized plants for the end of the year , foxgloves are Biennials @Splandy so no flowers this year so they no point in rushing into sowing them. With the seeds being like dust they must be sown on the surface and given plenty of light. After pricking out into small pots I will pot them on again into 9cm / 1 litre pots then plant out into the garden late summer / autumn.
I started seed sowing In January, both propagators are full at the moment , my opinion it depends on what you are growing.
I've grown Didisus blue lace in the past I was quite disappointed flowers are very small, Ammi are a favourite you do get better sturdier plants when they are sow late last year but I always forget so I sow mine in March, Cosmos I sow in April ( in pots ) really quick growers and get leggy fast if sown to early
I use a heated mat from a pet shop that they use to warm up the chameleons and snakes 4 foot long 1 foot wide at £30.00 It has taken seeds that should take 10 to 14 days to germinate and got thme up in 7
Our kitchen window is north east facing start off tomato seeds in January, on there. our conservatory is next door, is always light, maybe because its a bungalow, not overlooked, by March I have all our windowsills covered by those windowsill propogators with lids, bedroom window facing south east, doesnt get too hot early in the year, its not very attractive, but does the job, then they go into a greenhouse with a very small tubular heater to grow on then an unheated one. But you learn by trial and error what works and what doesnt.
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Wait till March when light levels are better - except toms and chilies which can be started early to get extra growing season if you can provide light and warmth. Wait till April/May if you can't provide heat control via propagators. Sweet peas can also be started early and moved outside into cold frames to keep growing and maximise light.
I got a heated prop a couple of years ago, not temp controlled but it works for me. I mostly use it for half-hardy seeds that need a bit of bit of warmth to kick start germination.
I'm not a very 'precise' type of gardener, I tend to just give it a go and cross my fingers things work. I've no idea of the temps inside the prop, have never bothered trying to measure it 😳.
Sorry... I'm not being very helpful am I?
Things I do to help my seedlings along...
Ventilation: wipe out condensation from the plastic lids, and leave the lids off unheated trays on warm days.
Protection from strong sunlight or chilly nights: I have curtains at the windows which can be drawn to shade the trays and shield from cold.
Turn the trays: stops the plants growing lopsided.
What I would advise is not to start too soon, I start in March, and not to sow all the seeds in the packet at once. A few thinly sown seeds stand a better chance than bunging the whole lot in one pot or tray (less competition/overcrowding), and then you still have some left for a second sowing if needed.
Finally, don't stress too much about "getting it wrong".
We've all been there as novice seed sowers. I wasn't on the forum when I started so bumbled along blindly 😆. Still love the excitement of seeing those first green shoots though 🌱🌱🌱.
My method for tiny little seeds with thousands in the packet is to tip some out into the palm of my hand, then take a pinch (between finger and thumb) and finely sprinkle them on top of damp compost.
I googled foxgloves, and like a lot of the tiny seeds they need light to germinate. For these types I don't cover with any extra compost but simply leave them be, or alternatively you can give them a light covering of vermiculite, which doesn't block the light like compost does.
I'd never bothered with vermiculite before but a forum friend tipped me off that poundland had it in last year. Cheap, cheap, cheap... so I gave it a go.
I can't say I noticed a significant difference with the pots that had it vs those without 😕.
Second sowing: Didn't want to jinx you, but yes, keep some back in case you need to try again.
The length of time to wait would depend on how fast the seed usually takes to germinate. Some types will take approx 7-10 days, some 14-28 days.
A lot depends on the growing conditions heat/light etc.
If I have a pot that's failed to sprout I usually leave it to one side and start again in another pot with fresh compost. Sometimes they pop up eventually, sometimes not.
Another tip for seed sowing is not to use big pots, it's not necessary and a bit of a waste of compost.
The aim is to get the seeds sprouting and then pot them on once the 'true leaves' appear.
You see the cell trays Jaqueline is using? That's what I use. A 24 cell tray has (for me) 6 rows of 4 cells which can potentially hold six different types of seed in the one tray.
People use allsorts of stuff as plant pots for seed sowing... yoghurt pots, plastic cups, meat/veg trays from the supermarket. All washed out of course 😉.
My personal favourite is the cardboard tubes from loo rolls for sowing peas in 😁.
There was a great forum thread on seedlings, started by gardengirl with lots of photos and chat. I will try and find it and put a link in here for you.
I found it very helpful to see how others were growing their stuff.
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/991050/watching-seedlings-grow-2017/p1
Edit: I couldn't resist a trip down memory lane and spotted foxglove seedlings on page one of the 2015 thread Splandy 😃.
I started seed sowing In January, both propagators are full at the moment
I've grown Didisus blue lace in the past I was quite disappointed flowers are very small, Ammi are a favourite you do get better sturdier plants when they are sow late last year but I always forget so I sow mine in March, Cosmos I sow in April ( in pots ) really quick growers and get leggy fast if sown to early
4 foot long 1 foot wide at £30.00
It has taken seeds that should take 10 to 14 days to germinate and got thme up in 7
Obelixx knows what he is about as above